3D Sculpted Signs - 3 Deminsional Letters - Page 2 of 2

French Cleat Sign

How to install a sign using a french cleat.

Using a cleat is a nice way to mount a sign to a wall without having visible fasteners. After reading this page and following the tips we hope that you will feel confident in mounting your new sign.

Step 1: Understand what they are and how they work.

The easiest way is probably to look at these photos which are pretty self explanatory.

Or view more french cleat images on Google

Step 2: Get a cleat.

There are several types that you can buy such as this 20″ long kit from Amazon that can hold 200 pounds and is made specifically for dry wall or the smaller 60 pound version.

We often make our own cleats out of wood or plywood. Here are some wooden cleats from Amazon. The thicker the cleat, the farther from the wall your sign will be. We often think it looks nice to have the sign “hover” 3/4″ off the wall.

“Z-clips” is another term that may help when searching for the best option to buy.

Step 3: Install it.

Generally, even large heavy signs only require one cleat. Well, we call it “one” cleat but technically it’s a 2-part cleat (one goes on the wall and one goes on the back of the sign). The cleat should be at least half as wide as the sign. If your sign is 24″ wide, we suggest the cleat be at least 12″ long.

The cleat should be about two thirds of the way up the sign. Not at the tippy top but definitely not near the bottom. That allows gravity to do it’s job and hopefully the sign will hang plumb and not lean back and touch the wall at any point.

Sometimes on larger signs you will need an additional spacer near the bottom of the sign because the bottom of the sign will want to lean back and touch the wall. The spacer should be the same thickness as the cleat.

It’s important that the cleat be installed on the wall level and facing the right direction. And it’s important that the cleat on the back of the sign is mounted level (parallel) to the sign.

The sign simply hangs on the cleat and is held on by gravity alone. If your sign will be in a windy location, or if you are concerned with earthquakes or theft, then the sign will need to be “locked” in place.

One easy way to do that is to send one trim screw, available from Amazon or hardware stores, through the face of the sign (after it’s installed) and into the wall. You’ll need to hit something solid in the wall like a wood stud. Or if you use a wooden cleat you can screw into that. Trim screws are nice because of their small heads. It can often be hidden in an inconspicuous part of the sign such as a knot (if it’s a wooden sign).

Another method to “lock” your sign in place is to attach something above your sign after it’s installed so that it can’t lift up and off such as a screw or nail or trim board.

Good luck!

V-Carved Signs

V-carved signs are made from a variety of materials including wood and HDU.

V-carving is the action of carving with a v-shaped bit to generate designs that can have varied width. The unique shape of v-bits create grooves that are narrow at the deepest part of the carve (created by the pointed tip of the bit) and wider at the top of the material. Often these signs will have paint or stain applied, or have the carving or the area around the carving burnt slightly, or the letters can be left natural with a clear coat or oil finish.

V-carving is a lower cost option than 3D carving with raised letters but still has a beautiful dimensional look.

Incised Carved Signs

Incised carved signs are often referred to as v-carved signs and can be made from a variety of materials including wood and HDU.

We hand carve or CNC carve the letters down into the material so they are recessed to create an incised sign. This is often done with a v-shaped router bit but can also be done with a rounded ball nose bit or a flat end mill router bit. Creating lines or groves for the graphics and letters make for a sharp and beautiful look. Customers can use these signs indoors or outdoors if properly finished and maintained.

Large wooden sign with carved down letters

Krampus-Kave---hand-painted-MDO-plywood-with-hand-carved-HDU-figure

Andreas-Keller---carved-cedar-circle,-HDU-scroll-with-gold-leafed-lettering

Siri & Fletcher - v-carved cedar torch burnt

Love - black stained plywood sign with shallow carved letters

Wood sign with straight cut incised letters.

Carved HDU Signs

Carved HDU signs are extremely versatile.

Carved HDU signs are done by hand or CNC router. HDU is perfect for creating dimensional signs because it weighs less and won’t warp or crack like wood. As a result, your sign will have a longer lifespan. And HDU signs don’t fade like wood so you don’t have to repaint as often. Our HDU signs can feature smooth or textured backgrounds. You also have a choice of different thicknesses. A custom HDU sign is cost effective but gives you strong visual appeal for a business, lodge or home.

We carved this sign with the CNC router making the letters and graphics raised. We gave it a nice chiseled background. Our artist hand painted the center from a photograph given to us by the customer.

Carved HDU sign with chisel background with hand painted scenery

This next sign was carved entirely on the CNC router and it has a chiseled background texture. We gave it some dimension with a combination of raised and carved down text and graphics. And it was hand painted by one of our talented artists.

The 3D sign was carved on the CNC router and also by hand. We gave the “bear” texture and a very active feel. Along with hand painting, gold leaf was applied to some of the text. It is a very eye-catching sign.

Baren Haus - hand carved HDU bear painted bronze, HDU scroll with raised letters